Antrodia camphorata, also known as “niu-chang chih”, is a native fungus in Taiwan. Its spores grow on the inner cavity of the decayed cinnamomum Kanehirai Hey, at an altitude between 450 to 2,000 meters. The fruiting body has a bell-shape, plate-shape, or horseshoe shape appearance and the color varies from orange to brown. The phytochemical investigations showed that antrodia camphorata comprises of polysaccharides (30-50%), triterpenoids (30%), steroids, superoxide dismatase and amino acids.
Antrodia camphorata was first noticed by the indigenous people in Taiwan as a perfect remedy for alcoholic hangover and alcohol-related liver disease. The fruiting bodies of antrodia camphorata are believed to be effective against inflammation, liver diseases, and gastrointestinal upset in Taiwanese fold medicine.
Acne Vulgaris
Acne vulgaris is a common skin disease characterized by noninflammatory comedones and by inflammatory papules, pustules, and nodules. Twenty percent of the patients with acne vulgaris have severe acne, resulting in permanent physical and mental scarring. It mainly affects face, the upper part of the chest, and the back, where there are most sebaceous follicles. Acne vulgaris may be due to blocked and infected skin pores secondary to a build up of excess skin oil, bacteria and other tissue. The standard therapies for acne vulgaris include topical or oral antibiotics, oral contraceptive and sporonolactone but current treatments are associated with variable side effects (Strauss J S et al. J Am Acad Dermatol; 56(4):651-63, 2007).
Urticaria
Urticaria, commonly referred to as hives, affects 15-20% of the general population at some time during their lifetime. It appears as raised, well-circumscribed areas of erythema and edema involving the dermis and epidermis that are very itchy. Pruritus (itching) and rash are the primary manifestations of urticaria. Urticaria results from the release of histamine, bradykinin, leukotriene C4, prostaglandin D2, and other vasoactive substances from mast cells and basophils in the dermis. These substances cause extravasation of fluid into the dermis, leading to the urticarial lesion. The intense pruritus of urticaria is a result of histamine released into the dermis. Acute urticaria is usually self-limited and commonly resolves within 24 hours but may last longer. Chronic urticaria, on the other hand, lasts more than 6 weeks. Neither acute nor chronic urticaria results in long-term consequences other than anxiety and depression. Current therapies to treat urticaria include antihistamine and corticosteroid but they are variably effective against chronic urticaria (Zuberbier T et al. Allergy 61(3):321-31, 2006).
Eczema
Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is an allergic condition that affects the skin. The exact cause of eczema is not known, although it is activated by the immune system and is related to allergic reactions. Eczema can be triggered by just about anything coming in contact with the skin. Common triggers of eczema include soaps, detergents, weather (hot, cold, humid, or dry), environmental allergens, gloves, even emotional or mental stress. It occurs in atopic people, who are extra sensitive to skin irritation. Eczema causes intense itching and burning, and the skin appears dry, flaky and red. Repeated scratching of the rash can cause skin sores and cracks, which are susceptible to bacteria, even viral infection. These infections are usually very minor, but they do require treatment with antibiotics or they may become very severe.
Eczema is a very common condition, and it affects all races and ages, including young infants. About 1-2 percent of adults have eczema, and as many as 20 percent of children are affected. It usually begins early in life, as most affected individuals have their first episode before the age of five. Eczema may fade in adulthood, but people who have eczema tend to have lifelong skin irritation and related problems.
Chronic eczema can be a difficult, frustrating condition. Prescription-strength steroid cream and antihistamine medication are the usual treatments. For severe cases not responding to high-potency steroid cream, alternate treatments may be tried. These include coal tar, psoralen plus ultraviolet A light, and immunosuppresive agents. However, most of the eczema treatments are slow and not always effective.
Allergic Rhinitis
Allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever, is characterized by inflammation of the nasal mucosal lining, usually caused by dust mites, animals, pollens, molds and food. The inflammation generates excessive amounts of mucus, causing nasal congestion, nasal discharge, sore throat, sneezing, and post-nasal drip. Allergic rhinitis may cause additional symptoms such as itching of the throat and/or eyes, excessive tearing, headache, facial pressure, and edema around the eyes. These symptoms may vary in intensity from the nuisance level to debilitating. (Kim et al. Current Opinions in Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery 15: 268-273, 2007). Many groups of medications are used for allergic rhinitis, including antihistamines, corticosteroids, decongestants, saline, sodium cromolyn, antileukotrienes and immunotherapy (Compalati E et al. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 102(1):22-8, 2009)
Cancer Cachexia
Cachexia may be defined as reduced carcass weight. Cancer cachexia is a complex syndrome with anorexia, weight loss, wasting of muscle and adipose tissues, hyperlipidemia, and other metabolic abnormalities, usually seen at an advanced stage of cancer. The causes of cancer-related cachexia are multi-fold, such as anorexia and early satiety. Early satiety can be due to direct encroachment of a tumor on the gastrointestinal tract, atrophic changes in the mucosa and muscles of the stomach, and a reduction in the duration or activity of digestive enzymes may lead to delayed gastric emptying and slowing of peristalsis (Kufe D et al, Cancer Medicine 7th Ed, 2006)
The patients affected appear chronically ill and emaciated, there is significant loss of body fat, muscle, and other components. The definitive treatment of cancer cachexia is removal of the causative tumor. Short of achieving this goal, various measures, such as steroid, megestrol acetate, and enteral or parenteral nutrition, have been undertaken with varying degrees of success.
Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a group of disorders characterized by hyperglycemia and is associated with microvascular (ie, retinal, renal), macrovascular (ie, coronary, peripheral vascular), and neuropathic (ie, autonomic, peripheral nerve) complications. Hyperglycemia results from lack of endogenous insulin, which is either absolute, as in type 1 DM, or relative, as in type 2 DM.
The diagnosis of DM is readily entertained when a patient presents with classic symptoms (ie, excessive urination, excessive thirst, increased appetite, and weight loss). More commonly, the diagnosis is made when the health care provider discovers either the fasting plasma glucose is greater than or equal to 126 mg/dL on 2 occasions or the random glucose is greater than or equal to 200 mg/dL (Report of the expert committee on the diagnosis and classification of diabetes mellitus. Diabetes Care 26 Suppl 1:S5-20, 2003). Conventional treatments for DM include oral hypoglycemia agent and insulin injections, and hypoglycemia is the most important complication for both forms of treatment.
Hypercholesterolemia
The guidelines of the American Heart Association and the NCEP Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) define hypercholesterolemia as a blood cholesterol concentration of greater than or equal to 240 mg/dL (desirable cholesterol concentrations are less than 200 mg/dL). The condition is caused by a number of factors, including atherogenic diet (excessive intake of saturated fat, trans fat, and, to a lesser extent, cholesterol), obesity, and sedentary lifestyle.
Hypercholesterolemia is usually discovered during routine screening and does not produce symptoms. Hypercholesterolemia is more common in individuals with a family history of the condition, but lifestyle factors (e.g., a diet high in saturated fat) clearly play a major role. The primary manifestation of hypercholesterolemia is coronary artery disease. (Lewington S. et al, Lancet. Dec. 1, 2007; 370(9602):1829-39.)
Medical therapy for hypercholesterolemia involves lifestyle and diet modification and pharmacologic therapy, such as HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins). However, statin is associated with side effects including inflammation of the liver, muscle inflammation, pain, and weakness.
Gout
Gout is a common disorder of uric acid metabolism that can lead to deposition of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals in soft tissue, causing recurrent episodes of debilitating joint inflammation. Acute episodes of gout often lead to incapacitation. Typically, the smaller, lower-extremity joints are involved. Podagra (inflammation of the first metatarsophalangeal joint) is the initial joint manifestation in 50% of cases. Untreated chronic gout can lead to severe joint destruction and renal damage, due to MSU deposition in the kidney.
Acute flares of gout can result from situations that lead to increased levels of serum uric acid, such as the consumption of beer or liquor, overconsumption of foods with high purine content, trauma, hemorrhage, dehydration, or underexcretion of uric acid include renal insufficiency, chronic alcohol abuse.
Options for treatment of acute gout include pain relief and colchicines, a classic treatment that is now rarely indicated due to its risk of toxicity. Allopurinal is commonly used for chronic gout but it is associated with many risks, such as develop dyspepsia, headache, diarrhea, and/or pruritic maculopapular rash. Less frequently, patients taking allopurinol can develop allopurinol hypersensitivity, which carries a mortality rate of 20-30%.
Oral Cancer
Oral cancer is particularly common in the developing world. The etiology appears to be multifactorial and is strongly related to lifestyle, mostly habits and diet (particularly tobacco, betel, or alcohol use), although other factors, such as infective agents (e.g. human papillomaviruses), are also implicated (Scully C et al. Oral Oncol. 38(3):227-34, 2002).
The oral cavity is 1 of the 10 most frequent sites of cancer internationally, with three quarters of cases affecting people in the developing world, where, overall, oral cancer is the third most common cancer after stomach and cervical cancer. An estimated 378,500 new cases of oral cancer are diagnosed annually worldwide. In certain countries, such as Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, oral cancer is the most common cancer. A recent study in Taiwan (an endemic betel quid chewing area) found between 1979 and 2003, the oral cancer incidence rates increased 6.19 times in males and 2.32 times (Che-Wei Hsu at http://ir.cmu.edu.tw/ir/handle/310903500/608).
The conventional treatments for oral cancer include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Despite these treatment modalities, the five-year survival rate for oral cancer is only around 60% according to American Cancer Society.
Arterial Restenosis
For patients with coronary artery blockage, angioplasty is a safe and effective way to unblock coronary arteries. During this procedure, a catheter is inserted into the groin or arm of the patient and guided forward through the aorta and into the coronary arteries of the heart. There, blocked arteries can be opened with a balloon positioned at the tip of the catheter or with the placement of small metallic spring-like devices called “stents.” The implanted stent serves as a scaffold that keeps the artery open. Restenosis is the result of neointima formation and can occur after angioplasty or the use of stents. (Horiba M et al, J. Clin. Invest. 105(4): 489-495, 2000) It usually occurs within 6 months after the initial procedure and the chance of restenosis is 25%.
Restenosis may produce symptoms that are very similar to the symptoms of coronary artery blockage, such as chest pain triggered by exertion. If restenosis is a possibility, the cardiologist may refer the patient for an exercise ECG test or a repeat cardiac catheterization. Drugs and vitamins administered either orally or intravenously have been tested for prevention of restenosis, but have not been consistently shown to be helpful. (Dangas G et al Circulation. 105:2586-2587, 2002) It would therefore be desirable to have a method to prevent the restenosis occurrence.
Despite the advance in medicine over the last 50 years, there is still a need for effective, economic and safe methods for treating skin conditions such as acne vulgaris, urticaria, and eczema, allergic rhinitis, cancer cachexia, diabetes mellitus and hypercholesterolemia. There is also a need for effective, economic and safe methods for preventing oral cancer and restenosis.